The reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is heating up as filming for the second season begins, with new revelations shaking up the cast's lives.
Taylor Frankie Paul, the central figure in the "MomTok" community, surprised her fans on the platform by releasing footage of herself kissing fellow Mormon Kenna Rowley. She accused her and her husband, Braden, of being the instigators behind the "soft-swinging" scandal that catapulted them to fame.
Highlights
- Taylor Frankie Paul leaked footage of 'soft-swinging' parties causing a scandal in the MomTok community.
- Kenna Rowley and her ex-husband accused of instigating the 'soft-swinging' scandal.
- 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' becomes Hulu’s top-rated show, outperforming 'The Kardashians'.
Taylor provided what she referred to as "receipts," revealing text messages in which Kenna told her: "I'm drunk, and I wish I were kissing you."
The show explores the aftermath of the MomTok community, which imploded in May 2022 when Taylor revealed that she, her ex-husband, Tate, and several other couples in their Utah Mormon community were involved in swapping sexual partners at parties.
"The whole group was intimate with each other. Tate made out with several girls, I made out with several guys, and vice versa," Taylor explained after revealing the affair.
Taylor Frankie Paul, the central figure behind the MomTok swinging scandal, accused a female member of "instigating" the affair, sharing a video of the two kissing
Image credits: taylorfrankiepaul
Taylor's revelation comes after Kenna took to the platform to express her regret at having participated in the swinging parties, revealing that her experience contributed to the breakdown of her marriage.
While Kenna avoided naming anyone in particular, Taylor decided to out herself. She also shared a video of the two women kissing, followed by a photo of the two alongside Kenna's ex-husband.
"She never asked to stop; she was one of the instigators, and sent her husband to get me," Taylor wrote in the video. "But you tell your side, sis."
Image credits: taylorfrankiepaul
The partner exchange arrangement inside Taylor's Mormon community forbade intercourse between the participants, limiting their involvement to kissing and teasing. The practice, dubbed "soft-swinging," naturally led to Taylor getting involved in a full-swinging affair, which broke her first marriage.
The revelation of Kenna's involvement provided crucial clues that led many in Taylor's audience to connect the dots and assume Kenna and her husband were the ones with which Taylor "cheated" on her former partner.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has been a hit for Hulu, surpassing The Kardashians in popularity by leveraging the virality of social media
Image credits: taylorfrankiepaul
The first season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was a success. It became Hulu's top-rated unscripted show, surpassing even The Kardashians in ratings.
The secret of the show's success is the adult nature of its content and how it intertwines reality TV with social media, with fans having to check both avenues to get the whole story.
Proof of this is the reception of Taylor's reveal. Many of her viewers had already seen Kenna's video and jumped from one channel to the other as the drama unfolded.
Image credits: taylorfrankiepaul
"It's 6 a.m., and my jaw is dropped. I saw Kenna's videos yesterday; they made no sense to me, and then this?" one fan wrote.
"You best believe I hopped over to Kenna's page quickly," another stated.
Taylor became a TikTok sensation under the hashtag #MomTok, which compiles a variety of Mormon mothers showing their lifestyles, families, dances in skimpy outfits, and other miscellaneous activities.
The massive popularity of her channel is due to the idyllic life it showcases. The apparent perfection of Taylor's life was instrumental in explaining the shock that the "soft-swinging" reveal was to her viewers.
Hulu has promoted the show as the story of women sexually liberating themselves from the shackles of a restrictive belief system, which has offended adherents of the Church
Image credits: kenna.gibbons
The show's premise establishes the swinging scandal as the ultimate conclusion of oppressive religious beliefs. Its trailer features testimonies of its participants who felt liberated by the couple exchanges.
"We want to change the stigma of gender roles in Mormon culture," one of the mothers says in the promotional video.
Image credits: taylorfrankiepaul
Adherents of the Mormon Church, on the other hand, felt insulted by the production, believing it misrepresents their beliefs and that the people featured in the show are not true Mormons.
"I hate for Mormon women to be portrayed as restricted or lesser than men because that is not at all what the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) teaches," wrote one follower.
"Anyone who knows anything about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints knows what a complete and utter joke this is. It's morally disgusting to flounce and disregard the commandments of God and then have the audacity to say that you are a member of this faith," said another.
Taylor's fans are having a blast following her antics on both TV and social media, but her detractors feel her show is doing more harm than good
Image credits: taylorfrankiepaul
"Taylor was MADE for reality TV, and I can't wait for the next season to come out!" one fan wrote.
"What an absolute FLEX! Everybody in the group caught feelings for you," another said, referencing the video.
"I saw Kenna's video first, and then this. MY JAW IS ON THE FLOOR," said a follower.
Image credits: taylorfrankiepaul
"I grew up in a heavily populated Mormon community, and I can assure you this is NOT the norm. I still keep in touch with many of them, and monogamy is essential in their relationships," a detractor stated.
"These gals today are free to call themselves what they like. None of it, however, has much to do with the church's teachings," another argued.
"Guessing they weren't thinking of how their kids would react to seeing mom and dad with other people. There's going to be a lot of therapy."
"Taylor with the receipts!" Fans of the MomToker are having fun following the drama surrounding the swinging scandal
